Ditching and grading machine



NW. 24, 1936. c. WQCUNDIFF I 2,062,210

' DITCHING AND GRADING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1935 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 24, 1936. c. w. CUNDIFF D ITGHING AND GRADING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DITCHING AND GRADING MACHINE Charles W. Cundiif, Owensboro, Ky.

Application April 27, 1935, Serial No. 18,674

11 Claims. (Cl. 37-163) This invention relates to an improvement in ditching and grading machines, and more particularly for the purpose of forming terraces, grading, ditching, leveling hills, building roads, re-

moving snow, building rice levees, and other dirt moving jobs.

The object of the invention is to improve the structure of the machine, to enable it to be built at small cost so that it may be sold to the consumer cheaply, and further to decrease its weight without detracting from its efliciency.

The construction of my present invention is extremely simple, eliminating complicated frame structures while employing a blade which is capable of being reversed or adjusted either for right-hand or left-hand operation, and held in an adjusted position.

An important feature of my present invention is the use of a. parallelogram frame structure of which the blade forms one side and is pivotally connected with a draw beam for swinging adjustment relative thereto, and provision is made for locking the blade in different adjusted positions. The wheels are also connected with the parallelogram frame structure, and provision is made for adjusting the wheels to vary the depth of cut of the blade.

I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings the preferred embodiment of my invention,

in which:

' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete machine;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view therethrough, partly in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the rear portion of the machine, with parts in section;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectional View on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

' The frame structure of the machine is made up primarily of a draw beam I, which is preferably formed of an I-beam bent to L-shape with braces 2 on each side of the corner thereof to make it more rigid and steady. The forward end of the draw beam I has a bearing block 3 secured thereto in which is journaled an arm or spindle 4 having a front wheel 5 mounted thereon. A draft hitch 6 is also attached to the front of the:

drawn beam I and is constructed for flexibility when the machine is being pulled on uneven ground.

The draw beam I has the short arm I thereof provided with a bracket I to which a blade 8 is pivoted by a bolt 9 which extends through the brackets III on the blade. The bolt 9 also extends through the forward end of an adjusting bar II which extends upwardly along the arm I of the draw beam and is rigidly fixed thereto by bolts I2, and then is turned horizontally, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. The draw beam I and the adjusting bar II form the essential parts of the rigid frame of the machine.

Spaced on opposite sides of the pivot bolt 9, and attached to the blade 8 by brackets I3 are a pair of arms I4 pivoted to the brackets I 3 by pivot pins I5. The arms I4 extend rearwardly from the blade 8, as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 5. Pivoted to each of the arms I4 on a pivot I6 is an L-shaped lever-arm II, one end of which has a wheel I8 journaled thereon, and the other end of which has a lever I 9 fixed thereto. Each lever I9 has a ratchet 20 in position to engage a notched segment 2I fixed to the arm I4 for holding the lever arm I I in an adjusted position with respect thereto. The lever arms I! may be adjusted to different positions with respect to the arms I4 for raising or lowering the blade to vary the depth of cut thereof. Each of the wheels I8 has a disk 22 fixed thereto in order to cut into the ground to prevent the machine from skidding when in use and to hold it in place on any grade. A scraper 23 cooperates with each wheel I8 to keep the wheel clean and prevent it from getting clogged with dirt.

Attached to the inner side of each arm I4, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is a bracket 24, and extending between the arms is a connecting-bar 25, pivoted thereto by pivots 26 extending through the brackets 24 and through the opposite ends of the bar 25. The blade, connecting bar 25, and arms I4 form a parallelogram, the sides of which are pivotally connected together, and the blade 8 is pivotally connected to the draw beam I. The connecting bar 25 is pivotally connected by a king-bolt 21 with the adjusting bar II so that both opposite sides of the parallelogram are pivotally connected respectively with the frame structure. The connecting bar 25 is provided with a fifth Wheel 28 having a plurality of openings 29 therein to receive a pin 38, which is inserted through the opening 29 and an opening in the adjusting bar II, in order to hold the fifth wheel 28 in an adjusted position relative to the adjusting bar I I, which thereby holds the blade 8 in an adjusted position with respect to the draw beam I.

The pin 30 also extends through a forward arm 3| of a seat bracket 32, which extends upwardly from the rear end of the adjusting bar II and adjustably carries a seat 33 on the upper end thereof.

A gooseneck 34, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, may be used between the blade 8 and the draw beam 1 for making the blade stronger and steadier, for which purpose the gooseneck has its opposite ends received in loops 35 and 36, attached respectively to a side of the draw beam I and blade 8. The gooseneck 34 will be removed from the clips 35 and 36 when the blade is adjusted to a different position, and may be reinserted in the adjusted position, if desired. In this way, the blade may be readily adjusted to different angular positions with respect to the draw beam upon withdrawal of the pin 30, and then upon re-insertion of the pin the blade is locked in an adjusted position. Thus the blade may be reversed from right to left, or from left to right, or in fact set at any angle desired, or straight across.

The parallelogram frame structure effectively braces the scraper blade, making it stronger and more rigid, and at the same time readily permitting the adjustment.

The central draw beam centralizes the draft of the machine and this draw beam is so constructed that the machine may be operated with horse or tractor at ease. The machine is so constructed that it may be easily pulled and handled. It may be built at small cost, and sold inexpensively.

The principal parts of the machine are assembled in one unit, thus simplifying the assembly and construction.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a scraping blade, a draw beam having the rear portion thereof pivoted to the blade intermediate the ends thereof, said blade being adjustable to different angular positions relative to the draw beam, adjusting bar and fifth wheel members pivoted directly together, one being secured to the blade and the other being secured to the draw beam, and means for holding the adjusting bar and fifth wheel members in adjusted positions relative to each other.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a scraping blade, a draw beam having the rear portion thereof pivoted to the blade intermediate the ends thereof, said blade being adjustable to different angular positions relative to the draw beam, an adjusting bar fixed to the draw beam, a connecting bar connected with the blade and pivoted directly to the adjusting bar, and means for holding the adjusting bar and connecting bar in adjusted positions relative to each other.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a scraping blade, a draw beam having the rear portion thereof pivoted to the blade intermediate the ends thereof, said blade being adjustable to different angular positions relative to the draw beam, a connecting bar, means pivoted tothe blade and to the end portions of the connecting bar for connecting said bar with the blade, an adjusting bar fixed to the draw beam and pivoted to the connecting bar, and means for holding the connecting bar and adjusting bar in adjusted positions.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a scraping blade, a draw beam having the rear portion thereof pivoted to the blade intermediate the ends thereof, said blade being adjustable to different angular positions relative to the draw beam, a connecting bar, means pivoted to the blade and to the ends of the connecting bar for connecting said bar with the blade and having a fifth wheel intermediate said pivotal connections, an adjusting bar fixed to the draw beam and pivoted to the fifth wheel, and means for locking the connecting bar and fifth wheel in adjusted positions.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a scraping blade, a draw beam having the rear portion thereof pivoted to the blade intermediate the ends thereof, said blade being adjustable to different angular positions relative to the draw beam, a connecting bar, means pivoted to the blade and to the ends of the connecting bar for connecting said bar with the blade and having a fifth wheel intermediate said pivotal connections, an adjusting bar fixed to the draw beam and pivoted to the fifth wheel, means for locking the connecting bar and fifth wheel in adjusted positions, wheels adjustably connected with the blade, and a wheel connected with the forward end of the draw beam.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a scraping blade, a draw beam having the rear portion thereof pivoted to the blade intermediate the ends thereof, an adjusting bar attached to the draw beam, 2. connecting bar, arms pivoted to the opposite end portions of the connecting bar and pivoted to the blade, and means pivoting the connecting bar directly to the adjusting bar. I

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a scraping blade, a draw beam having the rear portion thereof pivoted to the blade intermediate the ends thereof, an adjusting bar attached to the draw beam, a connecting bar, arms pivoted to the opposite end portions of the connecting bar and pivoted to the blade, means pivoting the connecting bar directly to the adjusting bar for adjustment relative thereto, and means for locking the connecting bar in adjusted positions.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a scraping blade, a draw beam having the rear portion thereof pivoted directly to the blade intermediate the ends thereof, an adjusting bar fixed to the draw beam and extending rearwardly therefrom, a connecting bar, arms pivoted to the opposite ends of the connecting bar and pivoted to the blade forming a parallelogram, wheels adj ustably connected with the arms, means pivoting the connecting bar directly to the adjusting bar for adjustment relative thereto, and means for locking the connecting bar to the adjusting bar in different adjusted positions.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a scraping blade, a draw beam having the rear portion thereof pivoted to the blade intermediate the ends thereof, an adjusting bar fixed to the draw beam and extending rearwardly therefrom, a connecting bar, arms pivoted to the opposite ends of the connecting bar and pivoted to the blade, a pivot pin permanently pivoting the connecting bar directly to the adjusting bar for adjustment relative thereto, and adjustable means for connecting the connecting bar with the adjusting bar in different adjusted positions thereof.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a scraping blade, a draw beam having the rear portion thereof pivoted to the blade intermediate the ends thereof, an adjusting bar fixed to the draw beam and extending rearwardly therefrom, a connecting bar, arms pivoted to the opposite ends of the connecting bar and pivoted to the blade, supports connected with the arms, apivot pin permanently pivoting the rearwardly therefrom, a connecting bar, arms pivoted to the opposite ends of the connecting bar and pivoted to the blade, wheels connected with the arms, means forming a pivotal connection directly between the adjusting bar and connecting bar for relative adjustment therebetween, said connecting bar having a fifth wheel fixed thereto concentric with the pivot means, and locking means carried by the adjusting bar for engaging different portions of the fifth wheel in different 10 adjusted positions of the connecting bar.

CHARLES W. CUNDIFF. 

